Cleaning and polishing apparatus



April 5, 1949. J. F. WATERS 2,466,520

CLEANING AND POLIS-HING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1945 ATTORNE Y Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANING AND POLISHING APPARATUS James F. Waters, New York, N. Y.

Application August 4, 1945, Serial No. 608,851

2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning, rubbing and otherwise treating oors or other surfaces.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby oors may be cleaned or rubbed at the will of an operator. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having'cleaning equipment including one or more brushes and polishing equipment including one or more pads and which are so related to one another that the cleaining equipment or the polishing equipment may be brought to bear upon a surface whereby, depending upon the manual setting of the apparatus, either cleaning or polishing may be accomplished.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention and what I now consider the best mode of applying the principle of the invention will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a transverse section through the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through one end of the apparatus at line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

The body portion or frame of the apparatus consists of a casing I 0, which may be made of metal, plastic, wood, or any other suitableA m-ateri-al. The underside of the casing is open and accommodates the cleaning and polishing equipment. These equipments are so mounted in the casing as to be selectable for performing their respective functions. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the polishing equipment is xed with respect to the casing, and the cleaning equipment is displaceable from a position of non-use to a position of use, and vice versa. When one of these equipments is in its position of use the other equipment is in a position f non-use. The particular equipment which is readied for use rests upon the surface to be treated and it is therefore preferred that the cleaning equipment be displaceable so that the bristles of the brushes thereof will not be subjected to the weight of the apparatus when the apparatus is stored.

The polishing equipment includes two pads, a wet pad Il for applying wax or oil, and a dry pad I2 for polishing or rubbing. Pad I2 is carried on the underside of a backing member or holder I3, which is supported from a longitudinally ex-` tending member I4, which is fastened at its ends to the end walls I5 and I6 of the casing. A pair of rails I 'l and I8 extending downwardly from the longitudinally extending member I4 serve to hold the backing member and attached pad in position against the underside of the longitudinally extending member I4. The construction is such that the backing member can be removed and replaced by sliding it lengthwise longitudinally of rails Il and I8. The backing member is dovetailed for receiving the edges of the pad which are clamped by a wire or other fastening means. Wet pad II is similarly attached to the underside of a longitudinally extending member I9, which is notched at its side edges for engaging the pad and bent edges 20, 2l of the casing. The backing member I9 and its 4attached pad can be removed from the appar-atus by sliding the same lengthwise of the bent edges 20 and 2|. The lower surfaces of the two pads II and I2 are in the same plane for together bearing upon and rubbing a surface to be treated, such as a oor.

Member I9 is slotted at 22 to permit the application of oil or wax to the back of pad Il. Conduit 23 is provided for distributing liquid material along the back of the pad from a number of spaced apertures 24 opening from the underside of the conduit. This conduit has a T connection 25 with a valve 26 through which connection may be made with a receptacle 21. By means of a handle 28 the amount of uid material delivered to conduit 23 and to pad II can be controlled, at will. The pads may be made from felt or from any suitable absorptive materials such as are customarily used for polishing and rubbing. Receptacle 2l may be made a part of the casing with the end Walls and one side wall of the casing constituting vertical Walls of the receptacle. A partition 29 inside the casing serves as the other vertical Wall. The bottom wall of the receptacle is in the form of a dished plate 30 to which the T connection is attached.

The cleaning equipment preferably consists of two brushes, 3|, 32, which are mounted against the lower surface of a vertically displaceable carrier 33. The carrier is contained in compartment 34 of the apparatus. Unless held in a depressed position in which the ends of the bristles of the brushes extend below the under surfaces of the pads, the carrier is maintained in an elevated position as shown in Fig. 1, by a pair of springs 35, 36. The ends of these springs are engaged by' the fixed longitudinally extending member I4, and by cups which are fastened to the movable `'sirle 'of the apparatus. -boss V1i?! is fastened by a screw riii! .to the endfof carrier 33. Four angle members 31, 38, 39 and 40 are attached to the carrier and serve to prevent the carrier plate from tilting crosswise of the casing.

The carrier has extendingv upwardly from its ends a pair of brackets 4 I, 42 (Fig. 2) whose outer surfaces provide sliding contact with the end walls I5 and I6 of the casing and together with angle members 31', 38, 39, and 4B, maintain the carrier horizontally disposed. These brackets also yserve to transmit to the carrier the action necessary for depressing the carrier and its brushes to locate the scrubbing portions of the bristles below the pads.

Each bracket has a pin 43 laterally extending from its upper end and engaging in 'a'sl'ot 44'at the end of an arm 45 of a bell crank lever. .This bell crank lever is pivoted on a stud 46 which extends from the end Wall of the casing. The other arm 41 of the Ibell crank lever has a projecftion '48 laterally extending ,fromits end. :The 'ibeii :crank lever :at each fend of Vl.the casing vis normally disposed, as illustrated in Fig. fi., when 'the brushes .areout o'f :position lfor :their use.

The Aapparatus is 'provided with `a :handle L"49 -wh'i'ch ."is .attached 'to a bail-50 .having arms 5I, 52 extending to opposite ends of :thel apparatus. Eachiof these Sar-ms iissimilarly engaged to rotary bushings 5'3, '54, respectively. The bushings f are mounted v'inthe end walls I5 and I6 of the casfing. lszshownfinlllig. '-3, thelower 'end vof :arm

Slis 'benttoprovi'de a shaft `55, whichris en- "g'ageable with the bore '56 of bushing 53. .Shaft 155iskeyed tothe vvbushing so as to rock the bush- Y-nrgfwh'en thehandle 49 is moved lfrom -a :posi- .tion extending from one side of the apparatus i (Fig. il) to a Lposition extending -from l-th'e other An annular removable bushing 53 Within 'the casing. This boss icarries aniarm59zbywnichibell crank lever :d5-41 may t*be actuated. Arm 159 'is so lforrned'fas fto remain out of operating engagement with the bell crank ylever when lit` is A'desired'fto usethe apparatus =with -tneipads i I and-'I2 bearing on the surface-'itc be li'trea'ma'd, iasillustra'ted iin .'Eig. l.

Whenit is desired v'.to depress lthelbrush'es ibe- =low 'therp'ads fand to 'engage andbea'r lup'on'lthe surface to be treated, .it is necessary only sthat 'thebperatorswingliandle49 across the topxf the 'apparatus to the l'right hand side as viewed Fig. f1. ASucha'ction willcausethe'curved end of arm '59 t'o fenga'ge projection 48 Yon `arm '-41 .of `the'bellcrank lever. Continued vmotion of :the `handle to a convenient position 'for moving the apparatus overa surface causes the cam surface "lili 4to'engage projection 48 and thereby'rock 'the vingssurface. Consequently, Awhen'the 'brushesiare in use fthe 'effect of rsprings35 and 36 :'on1arm..

259, and hence .on casual swinging of .handle f49 `does ynot vary. Arhoo'k '6I :at 4the end 'of..arm 59 .prevents 1the arm from fovererunriing :.istop 48. `While 'I have described thebellzcrankrlever andlarm which is located at one end lof :the apparatus, itwill be vunderstood `that `this carrieroperating `mechanism ,is Eduplicated at the 'other endeofthe apparatus, as shown in Fig. 2, so that both-ends of the-carrier V-will'be simultaneously controlled' by the handle.

Brush 32 is provided for applying cleaning fluid to the floor. This cleaning fluid may comprise carbon tetrachloride, kerosene, caustic soda, or any other material suitable for cleaning purposes. For distributing the cleaning material to the floor, a longitudinally extending conduit 62 is provided. This conduit has a plurality of openings 63 at its lower surface through which cleaning fluid is dropped to the floor. The conduitis fastened to the brush andisfconnected to a receptacle 64 by means of conduit 65, flexible conduit 66, and valve 61. This valve is operable by handle 68, which is mounted at the top of the-casing.

The apparatus is conditioned for removing old '-wax and-accumulated dirt from a floor by moving the handle from its left hand position, Fig. l, to a right hand position. This action causes the lower lportions of the brushes to be lowered below the surfaces of pads II and I2. The opera- .tor thenopens `valve :61 to the amount necessary 'for obtaining 'the desired `distribution of cleaning fluid, and the ycleaning operation isae- Vcompllslred by moving the l'apparatus over the -49.is swung to :the position illustrated in Fig. 1

with-fthe resultzthat :the scarrier. and ,brushes are .raisedfby the` action Tof` springs ,35 and '36. The

:operator then opens valve 21 to permit waxnrfioilingmaterialitoxbe distributed to-the upper surface of pad H.. "Thetreating material altare reciprocatedover :the surface of the iioor.

` Various i changesfand modifications in-construction, form and relative arrangement Vof parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art, maybe=made without departing from the scope of the invention. For examplefeither the brushesor 'the pads may be made to replace the other in functional position, and the manipula- Itivermeansi or `conditioningfthe .apparatus either for cleaningor'polishin'gmay be independent of the handle by which the apparatus is pushed over afioor. v'Reference is, therefore, to be had to .Ctheappended claims {for a definition .of ythe lim- 'its f .'theinvention.

"What is claimed is:

l1...Inapparatus .ofthe character described, a .casng,..a .receptaclefor containing liquid material, afpad .of absorptive-materal .supported at .theiunderside of/said casing, -means :for distributingnliquiclr material .from ,ysa-id .receptacle `tosaid lpad,polishing means mountedatithe underside vof .said casing, :said pad 4and1polishing fmeans nor- :mallysupportingfsaid casing .on a surface to be treated, .a `carrier I displaceably amounted for vver- ...ticalsmovementwith vrespect to said `casing and .saidpad .and polishing :means,:br,ushes mounted oni said carrier and :positionable thereby to `above 1and-be1ow ,tha-operative surfaces of `said `pad .-.a.nd polishingmeansfafsecond receptacle-contain- `ing. .liqudf material, lmeans for discharging .liq-

ffuidmaterial from :said last. namedmeceptacle ,ad-

jacent one of said brushespmeans for .positioning said-carrier:andbrusheszpto place said :brushes in ,.-position-ofpperativeilse'iand of supports-for said casing with #said padriand 'polishingvmeans above :said-rushes non-usefpositionxandout. of their 275.;norma1fcasing#supportingxpositicn, :and means attached to said casing for manipulating the positioning means.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a casing, a rubbing pad fastened to the underside of said casing, a carrier adjacent to said rubbing pad and mounted in said casing for vertical displacement, a cleaning brush supported from said carrier, said cleaning brush being adapted to be located with its operative surface above or below the operative surface of said rubbing pad depending upon the position of said carrier, springs cooperating with said casing and said `carrier and normally holding said carrier in an elevated position, means including a lever pivotally mounted on said casing for actuating said carrier against the action of said springs to displace said carrier to a position in which said brush will bear upon a floor surface, a handle pivo-tally mounted on said casing, and means controlled by said handle for positioning said 20 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

